SN 6.14

Aruṇavatīsutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati …pe… tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

About Aruṇavatī

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī. There he addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā ahosi aruṇavā nāma. Rañño kho pana, bhikkhave, aruṇavato aruṇavatī nāma rājadhānī ahosi. Aruṇavatiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, rājadhāniṁ sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho upanissāya vihāsi. Sikhissa kho pana, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa abhibhūsambhavaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhuṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: ‘āyāma, brāhmaṇa, yena aññataro brahmaloko tenupasaṅkamissāma, yāva bhattassa kālo bhavissatī’ti. ‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paccassosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhū ca bhikkhu—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—aruṇavatiyā rājadhāniyā antarahitā tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahesuṁ.

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a king named Aruṇavā. He had a capital named Aruṇavatī. Sikhī the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha lived supported by Aruṇavatī. Sikhī had a fine pair of chief disciples named Abhibhū and Sambhava. Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicant Abhibhū, ‘Come, brahmin, let’s go to one of the realms of divinity until it’s time for our meal.’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from Aruṇavatī and appeared in that realm of divinity.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhuṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: ‘paṭibhātu, brāhmaṇa, taṁ brahmuno ca brahmaparisāya ca brahmapārisajjānañca dhammī kathā’ti. ‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho, bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paṭissutvā, brahmānañca brahmaparisañca brahmapārisajje ca dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmā ca brahmaparisā ca brahmapārisajjā ca ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata, bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, kathañhi nāma satthari sammukhībhūte sāvako dhammaṁ desessatī’ti.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicant Abhibhū, ‘Brahmin, teach the Dhamma as you feel inspired for that divinity, his assembly, and the members of his retinue.’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then he educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired them with a Dhamma talk. But the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue complained, grumbled, and objected, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! How on earth can a disciple teach Dhamma in the presence of the Teacher?’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhuṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: ‘ujjhāyanti kho te, brāhmaṇa, brahmā ca brahmaparisā ca brahmapārisajjā ca— acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, kathañhi nāma satthari sammukhībhūte sāvako dhammaṁ desessatīti. Tena hi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, bhiyyoso mattāya brahmānañca brahmaparisañca brahmapārisajje ca saṁvejehī’ti. ‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho, bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paṭissutvā dissamānenapi kāyena dhammaṁ desesi, adissamānenapi kāyena dhammaṁ desesi, dissamānenapi heṭṭhimena upaḍḍhakāyena adissamānena uparimena upaḍḍhakāyena dhammaṁ desesi, dissamānenapi uparimena upaḍḍhakāyena adissamānena heṭṭhimena upaḍḍhakāyena dhammaṁ desesi. Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmā ca brahmaparisā ca brahmapārisajjā ca acchariyabbhutacittajātā ahesuṁ: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, samaṇassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā’ti.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicant Abhibhū, ‘Brahmin, the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue are complaining that a disciple teaches Dhamma in the presence of the Teacher. Well then, brahmin, stir them up even more!’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then he taught Dhamma with his body visible; with his body invisible; with the lower half visible and the upper half invisible; and with the upper half visible and the lower half invisible. And the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue, their minds full of wonder and amazement, thought, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might!’

Atha kho abhibhū bhikkhu sikhiṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca: ‘abhijānāmi khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhikkhusaṅghassa majjhe evarūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā— pahomi khvāhaṁ, āvuso, brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpetun’ti. ‘Etassa, brāhmaṇa, kālo, etassa, brāhmaṇa, kālo; yaṁ tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyyāsī’ti. ‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho, bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paṭissutvā brahmaloke ṭhito imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

Then Abhibhū said to the Buddha Sikhī, ‘Sir, I recall having said this in the middle of the Saṅgha: “Standing in the realm of divinity, I can make my voice heard throughout the thousandfold galaxy.”’ ‘Now is the time, brahmin! Now is the time, brahmin! Standing in the realm of divinity, make your voice heard throughout the thousandfold galaxy.’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Standing in the realm of divinity, he spoke this verse:

‘Ārambhatha nikkamatha, Yuñjatha buddhasāsane; Dhunātha maccuno senaṁ, Naḷāgāraṁva kuñjaro.

‘Rouse yourselves! Try harder! Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha! Crush the army of Death, as an elephant a hut of reeds.

Yo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye, appamatto vihassati; Pahāya jātisaṁsāraṁ, dukkhassantaṁ karissatī’ti.

Whoever shall meditate diligently in this teaching and training, giving up transmigration through rebirths, will make an end of suffering.’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī ca bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhū ca bhikkhu brahmānañca brahmaparisañca brahmapārisajje ca saṁvejetvā— seyyathāpi nāma …pe… tasmiṁ brahmaloke antarahitā aruṇavatiyā rājadhāniyā pāturahesuṁ. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho bhikkhū āmantesi: ‘assuttha no tumhe, bhikkhave, abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti? ‘Assumha kho mayaṁ, bhante, abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti. ‘Yathā kathaṁ pana tumhe, bhikkhave, assuttha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti? Evaṁ kho mayaṁ, bhante, assumha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassa:

Having inspired that divinity, his assembly, and his retinue with a sense of awe, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, Sikhī and Abhibhū vanished from that realm of divinity and appeared in Aruṇavatī. Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicants, ‘Mendicants, did you hear the mendicant Abhibhū speaking a verse while standing in a realm of divinity?’ ‘We did, sir.’ ‘But what exactly did you hear?’ ‘This is what we heard, sir:

‘Ārambhatha nikkamatha, yuñjatha buddhasāsane; Dhunātha maccuno senaṁ, naḷāgāraṁva kuñjaro.

“Rouse yourselves! Try harder! Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha! Crush the army of Death, as an elephant a hut of reeds.

Yo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye, appamatto vihassati; Pahāya jātisaṁsāraṁ, dukkhassantaṁ karissatī’ti.

Whoever shall meditate diligently in this teaching and training, giving up transmigration through rebirths, will make an end of suffering.”

‘Evaṁ kho mayaṁ, bhante, assumha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti. ‘Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave; sādhu kho tumhe, bhikkhave, assuttha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’”ti.

That’s what we heard, sir.’ ‘Good, good, mendicants! It’s good that you heard the mendicant Abhibhū speaking this verse while standing in a realm of divinity.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā, attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.